Alcatel introduces the Firefox OS-powered Fire C, E, and S smartphones, along with the Fire 7 tablet

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The engine is on, and the flood of news from MWC 2014 are already threatening to bury us. Alcatel is among the many handset makers in attendance at the expo, and it has quite some stuff to show. Apart from the new additions to its Android range, the Chinese TCL-owned subsidiary is introducing four new, Firefox OS-powered devices -- three entry- to mid-level smartphones, and the first tablet with the still nascent OS. We'll start with the most basic model and work our way up.

The most affordable of the flock will be the OneTouch Fire C, a seeming successor to the shaky OneTouch Fire. "Entry-level" pricing is all we're told, but that's to be expected considering the 3.5-inch, 320x480 pixels HVGA TFT screen and unnamed 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It doesn't get any better, either -- the amount of RAM is 512MB, and you'll have 2GB of usable storage (out of 4GB), expandable via a microSD card. The rest of the specs include a VGA rear camera, HSPA+ connectivity (up to 21.1 Mbps), FM radio, and a 1300mAh battery. Like its predecessor, the Fire C is quite chubby, at 0.47'' (11.95 mm), and, with some small exception, looks pretty much identical.

Next up, we have the Fire E and Fire S -- two handsets aimed at "design-conscious" consumers who "want premium features without the price tag". Both devices come in what has become a signature Alcatel design, which does not disappoint.

The less potent Fire E comes with a 4.5-inch 540x960 pixel resolution qHD IPS display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and 512MB of RAM. On-board storage is, again, at 4GB and is user-expandable. However, this time around we're treated to a more potent, 5-megapixel rear shooter, complete with auto focus and an LED flash, and a VGA front cam. It's also equipped with a fancier radio, with peak download speeds of up to 42 Mbps, and a 1700mAh cell. 

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The fancier, mid-range Fire S is the one bound to draw the most attention however, thanks to its 4G LTE capabilities and more solid hardware. We're again treated to a 4.5-inch of the qHD type, but the processor has been bumped to a 1.2GHz quad-core one, and we're expecting that RAM went up to 1GB, too, though Alcatel hasn't specified just yet. An 8-megapixel camera is what the Fire S sports at the back, with a more respectable, 2-megapixel front snapper. 

And last, but not least, we have the first Firefox OS tablet -- the Alcatel OneTouch Fire 7. Now, we're unlikely to see this slate hit the shelves any time soon, as Alcatel specifically words the Fire 7 as a "concept". As to the specs, the Fire 7 will be targeted at the "mass market", and sport a 7-inch, 540x960 resolution qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and two VGA cameras. Alcatel hasn't shared any product images of the Fire 7, but we're told to expect a device weighing 10.1 oz (285 g), with thickness of 0.39'' (9.9 mm).

We're unaware exactly where Alcatel is planning to introduce these new reinforcements to Mozilla's mobile platform, though such devices have a penchant for ending up in emerging markets. 

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